Central Garden & Pet Co Chief Accounting Officer Howard Machek filed a Form 4 on November 6, 2026, reporting the exercise of stock options and a related share withholding transaction dated November 5, 2026.

Key Highlights

  • Option exercise: Machek acquired 4,968 shares of Class A Common Stock via an M-coded transaction at an exercise price of $35.216 per share on November 5, 2026.
  • Shares withheld: 4,594 shares of Class A Common Stock were withheld by the issuer (transaction code F) at $41.57 per share to cover the aggregate option exercise price and withholding tax liability.
  • Resulting direct ownership: Following both transactions, Machek directly held 48,318 shares of Class A Common Stock.
  • Additional holdings: Machek also directly holds 1,000 shares of Common Stock and indirectly holds 7,446 units in the CENTA Stock Fund through the issuer's 401(k) Plan.
  • Options fully exercised: According to the filing, all 4,968 option shares were vested and have been exercised; the derivative position now shows 0 remaining derivative securities.
  • Adjusted option terms: The filing notes the option was originally reported as covering 3,975 shares at $44.02 per share but was adjusted following a stock dividend declared by the company on December 7, 2023, adding 993 shares exercisable for no additional consideration.

Machek's November 5, 2026 Option Exercise at Central Garden & Pet

Howard Machek, Chief Accounting Officer of Central Garden & Pet Co (NASDAQ:CENT), reported two non-derivative transactions on November 5, 2026, in a Form 4 filed with the SEC on November 6, 2026. First, Machek acquired 4,968 shares of Class A Common Stock through the exercise of a stock option at $35.216 per share (transaction code M), bringing his directly held Class A shares to 52,912 immediately following that acquisition.

In the same filing, 4,594 of those Class A shares were withheld by the issuer (transaction code F) at a price of $41.57 per share. According to the filing, the withheld shares covered "the aggregate option exercise price and withholding tax liability incurred upon the above-reported exercise of options," with the share count based on the respective average of the high and low sales prices on the date of exercise. After this withholding, Machek's direct Class A Common Stock position stood at 48,318 shares.

The exercised option was originally granted on February 9, 2021. The filing states it was "previously reported as an option for 3,975 shares of Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $44.02 per share, but was adjusted to reflect the stock dividend declared by Company on December 7, 2023," which added 993 shares exercisable for no additional consideration, resulting in the 4,968-share total. The filing confirms all shares under this option were vested and have been exercised, leaving zero derivative securities remaining. Machek also holds 1,000 shares of Common Stock directly and 7,446 units indirectly through the issuer's 401(k) Plan CENTA Stock Fund.

What Was Disclosed

The filing reports a stock option exercise by Central Garden & Pet's Chief Accounting Officer on November 5, 2026, covering 4,968 Class A shares at $35.216, with 4,594 shares subsequently withheld at $41.57 for taxes and exercise costs, leaving a direct post-transaction balance of 48,318 Class A shares.